Characteristics of Good Clinical Teachers: Insights From Japanese Clinical Trainee Dental Residents

The characteristics of good clinical teachers, as considered by clinical trainee dental residents, remain uncertain not only in Japan but also globally. This study aimed to ascertain the characteristics associated with a good clinical teacher as perceived by clinical trainee dental residents in Japan; additionally, it determined how these characteristics differ from those identified in previous studies at various learning stages and in other professions, particularly among physicians.

Employing a qualitative approach, data were gathered through semi-structured focus groups and in-depth interviews. The focus group transcripts were analysed meticulously and independently, with anonymisation and coding conducted by the three authors. Clinical trainee dental residents or dentists within a year of completing clinical training were recruited using maximum variation sampling until thematic saturation was achieved.

A total of 38 participants took part in eight focus group interviews and one in-depth interview. The 376 identified descriptors were categorised into 44 distinct themes. 'Provides advice at the level of resident' emerged as the most prevalent theme, followed by 'Provides feedback and formative assessment', 'Provides practical guidance', and 'Models a close dentist-patient relationship'. Using Sutkin's primary categories (teacher, physician and human characteristics), 25 of the 44 themes were classified as teacher characteristics, 10 as physician characteristics, and 9 as human characteristics. Twenty-two themes corresponded directly to Sutkin's framework, and 22 were novel contributions of this study.

While the identified common themes resonate with those recognised in the medical field as attributes of good clinical teachers, half of the themes were specific to the dental domain and were independently established. These findings underscore the successful elucidation of the unique attributes specific to good clinical teachers among clinical trainee dental residents.